


Rose Lalonde Learns to Play the Rain

by Miss_Prince



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-14 00:44:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/143449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Prince/pseuds/Miss_Prince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of conversations between Rose and Kanaya prior to Rose's timeline going black.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rose Lalonde Learns to Play the Rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ember_Keelty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ember_Keelty/gifts).



Strange designs and symbols sprawled across the walls of Rose's house and overflowed down onto the beaches of the Land of Light and Rain. Rose herself floated poised over the sand, continuing to mark and adjust here and there, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in a manner she would find most undignified were she not concentrating so hard.

She was concentrating so hard, in fact, that it took her several moments to realize someone was trying to contact her.

>  **\--grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]--**
> 
> GA: I Would Not Have Thought It Possible  
> GA: But I Vastly Preferred It When You Were Ripping Your Planet Asunder  
> GA: So If You Would Please Go Back To That I Would Appreciate It  
> TT: Hello again, Kanaya.  
> TT: Well, I suppose I could muster up the energy for more wanton destruction, if it would make you happy.  
> TT: But afterward I would need to return to my schematics  
> GA: Rose I Am Being Serious Here  
> GA: I Must Once Again Implore You  
> GA: This Plan Is Utterly Foolhardy  
> GA: In Fact It Is The Most Foolhardy  
> GA: It Is The Undisputed Reigning Champion Of The Foolhardiness Gloved Assault Sport League  
> GA: Undefeated Over Its Ten Sweep Career From Its Rookie Days On The Streets To Its Title Match  
> TT: Kanaya, you're rambling.  
> GA: The Point I Am Trying To Make  
> GA: Is That This Is A Stupid Idea And You Should Feel Stupid For Having It  
> GA: And Stop  
> GA: Right Now  
> TT: As overwhelmed as I am by your persuasive power,  
> TT: And as convincing and flawless an argument as you have made,  
> TT: I'm going to have to continue resisting.  
> TT: Specifically, because I'd rather we not all die horribly.  
> GA: Your Plan Directly Involves You Dying Horribly  
> TT: Just my dreamself  
> TT: Which is almost certainly doomed anyway.  
> GA: And That Is Another Thing  
> GA: You Continue To Be Disturbingly Blase About The Prospective Death Of Your Dreamself  
> GA: Which Tells Me You Are Woefully Underinformed About The Nature Of Dreamselves  
> TT: Quite possibly.  
> TT: Regardless, as far as I can see, this remains the only option that keeps all of us alive.  
> GA: You Dont Seem To Have Spent Much Time Searching For Other Options  
> TT: It seems like an acceptable use of an extra life to me.  
> GA: A Dreamself Is Not Merely An Extra Life  
> GA: It Is Part Of You  
> GA: You Might Even Consider It The True You  
> GA: Your Dreamself Is Your Vehicle For Personal Growth  
> GA: Its Your Conduit To Fulfilling Your True Potential  
> TT: If it saves my friends' lives, I'll gladly sacrifice my personal growth and true potential.  
> GA: I Would Find That Incredibly Noble  
> GA: If I Believed You Understood That Sacrifice In The Slightest  
> TT: You don't need to be concerned about me.  
> GA: I Am Anyway  
> GA: I Dont Want You To Get Hurt  
> GA: I Especially Dont Want To See You Hurt Yourself  
> TT: I suppose I appreciate that.  
> TT: You know, for all I've taught you about sarcasm, you continue to be disturbingly genuine  
> TT: It's not a quality I really know how to deal with.  
> GA: Although My Sincerity Has Caused Me Trouble In The Past  
> GA: I Think It Has Helped More Than Hurt  
> GA: Theres Nothing Wrong With Being Sincere  
> TT: I never said there was anything wrong with it.  
> TT: Just that I haven't encountered it often.  
> GA: You Have Probably Encountered It Far More Than You Believe  
> GA: I Have Noticed You Have A Tendency To Suspect The Worst Of Others Intentions  
> TT: Suspicion has served me well.  
> GA: See I Can Detect The Sarcasm In That And Yet You Believe It As Well  
> GA: Human Wordplay Appears To Have Endless Complications  
> GA: But My Point Is  
> GA: It Is Alright To Trust That Your Friends Are Being Genuine  
> GA: And It Would Probably Make You Happier To Be Able To Believe That  
> TT: I'm not used to being on this end of psychoanalysis, either.  
> TT: But duly noted.  
> TT: And if it means anything, I do believe it of you.  
> GA: It Does Mean Something  
> TT: But I really need to get back to work now  
> GA: Rose  
> TT: I have no doubt I'll be speaking with you again soon
> 
>  **\--tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering grimAuxiliatrix [GA]--**

Rose surveyed her last calculations. She smudged a bit out and corrected it carefully, then floated back, double-checking for the slightest inconsistency. Nearly done. All that was left was to contact Dave for some clarification, and soon she'd be ready to depart.

* * *

It was shortly after she'd heard the news that Kanaya contacted her again

>  **\--grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]--**
> 
> GA: Rose  
> TT: John's dead.  
> GA: I Know  
> GA: Are You Alright  
> TT: Of course.  
> TT: Why wouldn't I be?  
> GA: Possibly Because You Were Recently Informed Of Your Friends Death  
> GA: I Would Consider That Fairly High On The List Of Reasons To Be Not Alright  
> TT: John is fine.  
> TT: Better than, at least according to Dave.  
> GA: That Is True  
> GA: But It Remains A Shocking Event  
> TT: Hmm.  
> GA: Anyway  
> GA: I Dont Suppose Youve Changed Your Mind About The Plan  
> TT: Absolutely  
> TT: I have seen the error of my ways and will cease this foolishness immediately.  
> TT: I am settling in now to wait for the miracle that will surely come and save us from being blown out of existence.  
> GA: I Find Myself Somewhat Nostalgic For The Time I Would Have Believed Those Statements To Be Sincere  
> GA: But Now That I Know Better I Will Not Be Dissuaded  
> GA: Rose You Must Stop This  
> TT: There's nothing you can do, Kanaya. My mind is set.  
> GA: Set On A Plan Thats Bound To Fail  
> GA: Do You Even Realize How Many Ways This Could Easily Go Wrong  
> TT: Oh come now, what could possibly go wrong?  
> GA: So Many Things  
> GA: In Fact All The Things  
> GA: All Of Them  
> GA: But I Recognize That You Are Baiting Me So I Will Come Back To My Point  
> GA: Your Plan Is Not The Only Possible Plan  
> TT: Even if I believed that, we're running out of time.  
> TT: I'm confident that this will work.  
> GA: Youre Not The One Who Can See Your Timeline Going Dark A Few Hours From Now  
> GA: You Are In Serious Danger And This Stupid Plan Is Leading You Directly Into It  
> TT: If you can see the timeline going dark, then what happens is inevitable.  
> TT: Whether I proceed or not makes no difference in the end. I'm going to keep concentrating on saving my friends.  
> GA: We Are Working On An Alternate Plan  
> GA: It Is Unnecessary For You To Sacrifice Yourself  
> GA: And Your Persistence In Attempting To Do So Is Nothing But A Liability  
> TT: Hmm, tough choice. The plan I'm directly involved in and have been working diligently to perfect...  
> TT: Or the new plan I've just now heard of for the very first time, know nothing about, and have nothing to do with.  
> TT: How will I ever decide?  
> GA: You Cant Always Do Everything Yourself  
> GA: Sometimes You Have No Choice But To Depend On Other People  
> TT: But in this case I do have a choice.  
> TT: Besides, I am depending on the others, Dave in particular.  
> GA: There Is A Difference I Think Between Depending and Delegating  
> GA: And Your Actions Seem Closer To The Second  
> TT: ...  
> GA: We Do Have An Interest In Rescuing You Humans You Know  
> GA: We Need You To Live To Ensure Our Own Survival  
> GA: In Addition To The Fact That I Like You And Dont Want You To Die  
> TT: Thanks for that.  
> TT: But for now I'm doing things my own way.
> 
>  **\--tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering grimAuxilitrix [GA]--**
> 
> GA: I Hope  
> GA: You Will Be Safe

  


* * *

A flash of brilliant green and Rose was bolting upright in bed, breath shallow and heart pounding. Her eyes darted around, disoriented, as her scrambled thoughts struggled to align themselves. She was... and then...

As Rose regained her senses, she gradually became aware of a beeping noise. A Pesterchum message alert. Shakily, she crossed to her computer to answer it.

>  **\--grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]--**
> 
> TT: Kanaya.  
> GA: Rose  
> GA: You Were Thrashing In Your Sleep  
> GA: What Happened  
> TT: My dreamself is dead.  
> TT: I think Dave's managed to escape, but I can't be sure.  
> TT: Noir attacked Derse. I doubt there's anything left of it now.  
> GA: Are You Alright  
> GA: Why Are You Laughing  
> GA: This Is A Little Unnerving  
> TT: Don't you think it's amusing?  
> TT: All that arguing, and the plan was doomed all along.  
> TT: It didn't fail; it never even started.  
> GA: Rose Im So Sorry  
> TT: Are you?  
> GA: Yes  
> GA: I Am  
> TT: You know, I want to think you're mocking me.  
> TT: But I know you're not.  
> TT: I'd almost prefer it if you were. I know how to deal with that.  
> GA: Its Okay To Be Shaken  
> GA: You Were Killed  
> GA: I Cant Imagine How That Must Feel  
> GA: I Was Fortunate Enough To Be Awake When My Dreamself Died  
> TT: I'm alright.  
> GA: Rose  
> TT: I am. I will be.  
> TT: Just  
> TT: keep talking to me.  
> GA: Okay  
> GA: I Can Do That  
> GA: Its What I Usually Do  
> TT: Oh?  
> GA: Yes  
> GA: I Am Something Of A  
> GA: Uh  
> GA: Notorious Meddler  
> TT: I am utterly shocked at this revelation.  
> TT: You've never tried to meddle with me.  
> GA: Yes Well  
> GA: I Thought The Fact That It Was A Chronic Habit Might Be At Least A Little Surprising  
> GA: But In Hindsight I Suppose It Isnt  
> TT: Is that a typical quality of trolls?  
> GA: Not Really  
> GA: In Fact My Overwhelming Impulse To Meddle Has Caused Me No End Of Trouble In My Personal Relationships  
> GA: I Really Hope My Pseudo Paleness With You Does Not Become Yet Another Nail In Their Proverbial Corpsebox  
> TT: ?  
> GA: Your Inquiry Hook Suggests That I Have Said Something Confusing  
> TT: Well, from my minimal discourse on the subject with my friends, I take it that "Pseudo Paleness" is some sort of reference to troll romance  
> TT: But I really haven't explored the matter in any depth.  
> GA: Ah  
> GA: Uh  
> GA: Well  
> GA: To Be Honest  
> GA: I Would Rather Not Give The Pails And The Pales Talk To You  
> GA: It Is A Little Awkward  
> GA: Alright More Than A Little  
> GA: Far Far More  
> TT: A shame.  
> GA: But Rose  
> GA: I Want You To Know  
> GA: I Do Care About You  
> TT: Kanaya.  
> GA: If Im Honest With Myself The Meddling Isnt The Problem  
> GA: So Much As My Hesitance In Expressing My True Affection  
> GA: So I Have Decided To Stop Being A Coward  
> GA: And Tell You Decisively  
> GA: That  
> TT: ...Kanaya?  
> GA: I Can Do This  
> GA: Rose  
> GA: My Feelings For You  
> GA: Are More Flushed Than Pale  
> TT: I am not entirely certain what that means.  
> TT: But I can make an educated guess.  
> GA: You Dont Have To Say Anything Now  
> GA: But Regardless Of Your Response  
> GA: I Think I Feel Better For Having Expressed Myself  
> GA: You Look Like Youre 0kay Now  
> TT: Yes, I believe I am.  
> TT: Wait, "0kay"?  
> GA: Oops  
> GA: I Have Been Working In Close Tandem With Aradia On A Project Recently  
> GA: And Her Mannerisms May Have Rubbed Off A Little  
> TT: I see.  
> GA: Everything Will Be 0kay Rose  
> GA: I Mean Okay  
> GA: So Dont Lose Hope  
> TT: Alright Kanaya. I have faith in you.
> 
>  **\--grimAuxiliatrix [GA] ceased trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]--**

Rose took a deep breath rested her head on her arms. What were they going to do now?

* * *

The sky over the Land of Light and Rain was stormier than usual. There was an atmosphere of foreboding spreading out over everything, thick enough to choke. Rose stood outside watching the colorful clouds roiling above her, thoughts tumbling to match them.

Her eyepiece flashed as someone messaged her, and Rose answered without hesitation.

>  **\--grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]--**
> 
> TT: It's coming soon, isn't it.  
> TT: The point where my timeline goes dark.  
> GA: Yes  
> GA: But I Told You We Had A Plan  
> GA: And We Are Preparing To Implement It  
> TT: How much longer?  
> GA: We Are Making Our Final Adjustments Now  
> GA: I Thought I Would Try To Keep You Company  
> GA: For A Little While  
> TT: I see.  
> GA: I Am Sorry That This Has To Happen So Abruptly  
> GA: And There Are So Many Things You Wont Have Time To Complete  
> TT: This is sounding a little morbid, Kanaya.  
> GA: Sorry  
> GA: I Didnt Mean It Like That  
> GA: You Will Be 0kay  
> GA: Okay  
> GA: Damn It  
> GA: Its Just That You Barely Had Any Time To Explore As Your Dreamself  
> GA: And There Wont Be Time To Complete Your Personal Quest  
> TT: My personal quest?  
> GA: Yes You Know  
> GA: The Thing Your Sprite Told You You Needed To Do  
> GA: Whatever It Was  
> GA: Its Different For Everybody  
> TT: Ah, I see.  
> TT: I admit I've been too focused on breaking the game to really grasp all the subtleties of the rules.  
> TT: I suppose the quest is important?  
> GA: Well Yes  
> GA: Like Your Dreamself It Presents An Opportunity For Personal Growth  
> GA: But While Self Realization Via Dreamself Is An Ongoing Process  
> GA: The Completion Of The Quest Is More Of An Instantaneous Understanding  
> GA: An Epiphany If You Will  
> GA: About Who You Are And Who You Want To Be  
> GA: And About What You Think Is Important  
> TT: It does seem a shame to miss that.  
> GA: I Am Choosing To Believe That To Be A Sincere Statement  
> GA: Because I Do Think It Is A Shame  
> GA: But You Will Be Fine Without Completing It  
> TT: It's good to hear that, given that I almost certainly won't.  
> TT: Kanaya.  
> GA: What  
> TT: I think we should return to the subject of our last conversation.  
> GA: Which Subject  
> TT: I think you know perfectly well.  
> GA: Oh Uh That  
> GA: I Was Sort Of Hoping You Had Forgotten About That  
> GA: Actually I Have To Go Now  
> TT: Kanaya  
> GA: No Really I Do  
> GA: Our Preparations Are Finished And I Need To Be Elsewhere  
> GA: But If This Goes Well We Can Talk About It Later  
> GA: I Promise  
> TT: Alright. I'll hold you to that.
> 
>  **\--grimAuxiliatrix [GA] ceased trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]--**

Rose turned back to the turmoil of the sky. In the distance the rain still fell in smooth lines, colorful droplets splashing down into the sea. "Play the rain," Jaspersprite had told her. It seemed so long ago now, even though it had been less than a day. So much had happened in such a short time.

She shuffled idly through her captchalogue to burn some nervous energy. When she saw the card containing her violin, she paused. The lines of rain in the distance... they reminded her a bit of the violin strings. On a whim, she switched to the leaf modus and took her violin out, running the tips of her fingers along the body. It had been a while since she had last played. She rosined the bow and tuned her instrument as well as she could manage by ear, and then she settled it more comfortably under her chin and closed her eyes.

She could feel a weight to this moment, a significance that hung in the air she breathed slowly, steadily, in and out. Rose let her mind empty, let her thoughts and worries float away for the time being, and calmly settled her fingers in playing position, bow poised against the lowest string.

>  _GA: It Is Alright To Trust That Your Friends Are Being Genuine  
>  GA: And It Would Probably Make You Happier To Be Able To Believe That_

The words sprang unbidden into her mind, and as they did, she pulled her bow across the G string, slowly feeling out a low, minor melody.

It felt right. The air around her seemed to shift subtly, and she could almost hear the strains of a harp begin to pluck out harmonies, just on the edge between real and imagined sound.

>  _GA: You Cant Always Do Everything Yourself  
>  GA: Sometimes You Have No Choice But To Depend On Other People_

Rose began her melody again, expanding it up onto the D string and back down again, and the phantom accompaniment passed the threshold into undeniable reality, new instruments entering, adding counterpoint to the song, the sounds flowing and ebbing around her like tides.

>  _GA: If Im Honest With Myself The Meddling Isnt The Problem  
>  GA: So Much As My Hesitance In Expressing My True Affection  
> GA: So I Have Decided To Stop Being A Coward  
> GA: And Tell You Decisively_

Rose poised her bow once more against the lowest string.

>  _GA: Rose  
>  GA: My Feelings For You  
> GA: Are More Flushed Than Pale_

She began her melody a third time, this time rising up to the A string with a smooth, flowing line, and the accompaniment swelled and faded with her in perfect sync before launching into a bridge section on its own. Rose opened her eyes to see the Land of Light and Rain alive around her, pulsing with rhythm and color, the storms bending to the power of the song.

She ignored the green glow beginning to fill the sky and prepared for one final verse.

>  _GA: The Completion Of The Quest Is More Of An Instantaneous Understanding  
>  GA: An Epiphany If You Will  
> GA: About Who You Are And Who You Want To Be  
> GA: And About What You Think Is Important_

She trusted Kanaya. She was going to be okay. And so even as the silhouette of Jack Noir appeared on the horizon, she began her melody one last time, and even as he flew impossibly fast over the water toward her, green flames lighting everything in his path into a blaze, she soared triumphantly up to the E string, and even as he landed in front of her she did not waver, and let the melody sink gently down to its end and the accompaniment of her Land fade away. And even as he darted forward, sword outstretched, she stood unflinching.

And then everything went dark.

* * *

She was floating in a strange space, dark and filled with terrible things, and she shut her eyes against them and concentrated on the feel of arms around her, holding her secure and pulling her through the nightmarish labyrinth. Time warped and stretched around her, and it felt at once like eons and an instant.

Then she was standing on solid ground.

"I Should Not Be Surprised That You Chose To Fiddle While Your Land Burned."

Strange how a voice she had never heard before in her life could be so wonderfully familiar.

Rose opened her eyes and whirled around to find herself face to face with Kanaya, the troll girl's arms still settled around her waist. She hadn't really had any expectation of what the trolls might look like, but Kanaya was quite pretty, her teeth poking out from a shy smile.

Rose kissed her.

A moment later Kanaya pulled back, cheeks flushed dark green. Rose grinned at her.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she said.

"It Was My Pleasure," Kanaya replied. "I Am? Very Glad That You Are Safe."

"You never gave me a chance to tell you, though," Rose said, stepping closer once more. "Assuming I have correctly interpreted the general meaning of the term, your 'flushed' feelings? Are enthusiastically returned."

Kanaya blinked in surprise, and then her smile turned hopeful and earnest, and she cautiously leaned forward to properly kiss the unresisting Rose, who wrapped her arms around Kanaya's neck and pulled her close.

"SO DID IT WORK OR WH- FUCKING BULGESUCKING HELL NO NO NO GET THE FUCK OFF EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW YOU SICK FUCKS! KANAYA YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE GODDAMNED SMART ONE, I DIDN'T FUCKING EXPECT THIS KIND OF FUCKING ABOMINATION FROM YOU!"

Mood thoroughly ruined, the pair broke the kiss and turned to see Karkat (with a mouth like that, of course it was Karkat) in the doorway.

"It Worked," Kanaya replied, easily ignoring most of his rant. She turned to Rose. "Aradia And I Used Your Initial Idea Of Mapping The Outer Ring To Chart A Course From Our Session To Yours. As The Sylph Of Space I Could Easily Jump To Your Planet And Pull You Away From Noir." To Karkat she added, "We Should Be Able To Retrieve The Others When The Time Comes."

Karkat looked like he had a lot more to say, but he appeared to choose to save it for another time, perhaps one with a bigger audience. "FINE THEN. GET TO THE COMPUTER ROOM AS QUICK AS YOU CAN." He glared at Rose. "AND STAY THE HELL OFF EACH OTHER IN THE MEANTIME." Karkat turned and stomped out.

"I'm Glad You Managed To Complete Your Quest," Kanaya said to Rose when he had gone.

"As much as I'd like to take all the credit, I have to say that most of it was thanks to you," Rose said. Kanaya smiled, and Rose leaned in for one more kiss...

"I SAID STAY THE HELL OFF EACH OTHER I'M FUCKING SERIOUS."

Rose pulled back with a sigh. "I suppose we'll have time later. Hopefully."

Kanaya offered her arm. "Shall We Be Off, Then?"

Rose took Kanaya's arm, and together they set off for the computer lab.


End file.
